Women and society aren’t the only ones troubled with the issues of inequality. In fact, even nurses face the same concerns, particularly male nurses. And this discrimination doesn’t only come from other people, but they can also originate from your own family.
Myth #1: Male nurses are gay.
While there are homosexual nurses, it doesn’t mean that all men who enter the profession are gay. In fact, some male nurses even end up marrying their female co-nurses.
“When I told my parents that I’ll be taking up nursing, they were lost for words. They literally sat me down in the living room, looked straight into my eyes and asked if I was gay. They even told me it’s perfectly fine if I come out. I nearly burst out into laughter,” a 3-year ER nurse shared.
Men are considered strong and firm while nursing is widely considered as a caring and gentle profession. Because they are on the other end of the spectrum, men who aspire to be nurses are often believed to be more on the feminine side.
Fact: The truth, however, is that although men are considered strong, it doesn’t always mean that they’re up for tough jobs. Some men become nurses because of the flexibility of the work and the different subspecialties they can take.
Myth #2: Men aren’t compassionate enough.
“I was once refused by my patient. She thought I was not competent or even compassionate enough to care for her so she asked my supervisor if she can have a female nurse assigned to her instead. It was a tough blow to my ego but my supervisor stood up for me and declined the request. I was her nurse throughout her hospitalization and she actually preferred to have a male nurse instead! A nurse is a nurse, after all!” a nurse shared.
Fact: Male nurses get into nursing for the exact same reasons why female nurses want the job and that is to care for their patients. Compassion has nothing to do with a person’s gender but with the ability of a person to put others above himself. Men are compassionate beings, whether they are nurses, policemen or teachers.
Myth #3: Male nurses don’t get hired as much as female nurses
“In this hospital, there is actually almost an equal number of female and male nurses. Gender isn’t really a factor when we hire nurses. We look more on their competencies, skills, and attitude when we screen them,” a private hospital chief nurse shared.
Fact: Some facilities actually favor male nurses more because of their strength and physique. They can lift patients easier than women can. Male nurses can also provide stronger support when it comes to assisting patients in the bathroom and whenever they need to be turned.
Nursing is a physically exhausting job and men, being stronger, are exactly what hospitals need to help ensure their patients’ safety and comfort. Male nurses are also task-oriented and interested in challenges which make them very suitable to handle trauma and critical cases.
What other male nurse myths have you heard? How do you feel about them?
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